After working on the stereo (front section), I began working on the rear channels. I used the recording of the trimmers I had, applied ring-shifter and distortion, duplicated and reversed one and separated them into separate channels behind me, like a stereo formation but behind me. I also added a deep low bass to the bigger speakers at the back, that played all the way through, and slowly got louder as the piece progressed.
I arranged it so the calming front stereo audio would play first and slowly dim as the rear audio became larger and more present. using the themes used in horror films to create dynamic sounds and presence from behind was the driving force behind the construction and arrangement.
I used a muffled kick to sound like banging and sent it to a wide speaker to create the feeling of wanting to turn your head. This combined with the deep basses and distorted sound created a stark comparison to the light and airy mood of the stereo composition, which I was going for.
I used the flapping to transition smoothly between the front audio and the rear audio – for some reason, it felt really unusual using a stereo sound to help transition the piece to a wider atmosphere, however it created the “conversational” element that I was looking for. I also used the recordings I collected of my card scraping across the brass metallic part of the piano to create the horror film influence.